ON THE ICE WITH CROSBY A young man from Mont-Tremblant skated outside for over an hour with the Pittsburgh Penguins captainMATHIAS BRUNETTHE PRESS
Guillaume Ouimet likes to be alone at dawn on the outdoor rink of his corner, in Mont-Tremblant.
“I like going there in the morning because there is nobody and the guys in the arena are doing a great job the night before, the ice is very beautiful in the morning,” said the 19-year-old. , cegepien and junior AA player at Tremblant. I like skating in the morning, it’s quiet, it allows me to disconnect from everything. “
Guillaume was working his feints alone on Tuesday, January 9, when he saw a jeep parked a stone’s throw from the rink. Who, then, would disturb his tranquility?
When he saw the man approaching, he thought at first that he was in bed. The best hockey player in the world, Sidney Crosby, was walking towards the rink …
"I recognized him immediately in the distance. I was shocked. By reflex, I introduced myself. ”
Crosby took a look at the ice and the surrounding area. “I saw he was inspecting the ice. He asked me if any other world was coming. I told him it should be quiet and I asked him if he wanted to skate with me. He looked around, then he told me he was going to get his equipment in the jeep. He came back with his girlfriend and hockey equipment. ”
When Crosby came back, Ouimet, a science student, suggested that he go to the arena to open a cloakroom.
“At this hour, the cabin is still closed. I know the guys and I knew they would be happy to welcome him. It was still cold, at least - 15. But he insisted on putting his skates in a snowbank next to the rink, as a 10-year-old would have done. ”
Guillaume and Crosby skated together for over an hour.
“He did not want to leave. His blonde said they had to go elsewhere, but he pushed twice to stay ten minutes each time. Like a child. […] It’s ironic because he explained to me that he was having trouble getting out of the left corner because he was still being harpooned by the defenders. He took his blonde’s boots to make cones and we practiced that. You understand why he’s the best player in the world. ”
“I was struck by his humility. He spoke to me as if we had known each other forever. ”
Crosby’s girlfriend was looking at them and taking pictures. “Fortunately, because my phone was dead because of the cold! "Says Guillaume.
The young man was surprised by the authenticity of Crosby. "He could have gone to the South, on the beach, he was explaining how much it was missing, the outdoor rinks. In Pittsburgh, there are none. We then went to visit the arena. He was still very gentleman. I spoke to him in English, but he took the trouble to speak a dozen minutes in French. He has never shown the slightest sign of impatience. He appreciated the moment. ”
The two then went to visit the locker room of the Devils of Mont-Tremblant, the team of which Ouimet wears the colors. “He sat on a bench in the bedroom without saying anything for a few minutes. His blonde told me he was nostalgic. You saw that a lot of memories jostled in his mind. It was impressive. ”
What was he doing at Tremblant? “At first, I thought he was at Mario Lemieux, who has a house in Tremblant. But no. He was taking his girlfriend for the first time. He did the sled dog the day before. He said he was not allowed to ski, but was going to retire. ”
Guillaume Ouimet received the photos two days later. “My parents believed me, but not some of my friends. They said it was impossible for me to spend an hour alone with Crosby outside on the rink. They finally believed me when they saw the pictures two days later … ”
Before talking to La Presse , the young man rewrote the Penguins captain’s girlfriend and asked him if he could tell his story to the media. The greatest player in the world nodded with pleasure.
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